


Swordplay

by SinBird (SexyFrostGiants)



Category: Romeo and Juliet
Genre: Juliet is a baby, Paris is a creep, Rating May Change, more tags to come, realtionship tags to be added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SexyFrostGiants/pseuds/SinBird
Summary: Benevolio has mysteriously fallen sick, Mercutio goes hunting for answers and finds more than he intended.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Swordplay

"I'm going to kill you, you damn bastard!"

Tybalt slowly raised his gaze from the knife he had been sharpening to watch Mercutio stalking towards him. The man seemed completely unaware, or perhaps uncaring, of the Capulet cousins slowly closing in behind him, cutting off any possibility of escape.

"Are you now?" Tybalt mocked, his lips curling up in a sneer.

The blonde man bared his teeth angrily and rested his hand on his sword as Tybalt rose from his seat.

"I know you're the one that hurt Benvolio." Mercutio hissed furiously, his knuckles going white around the hilt of his sword.

Tybalt tilted his head ever so slightly to the side as he regarded the other man. He had yet to even hear of the Montague being injured. But he was never one to turn down a fight.

"Do you plan to do something about it? Or will you just stand there and bark like the dog you are?" Tybalt sneered, a cruel laugh escaping him as Mercutio drew his sword in a rage.

"Draw your sword Tybalt, if you be a man." Mercutio spat, his blue eyes sparkling with fury.

Tybalt growled lowly at the insult and eagerly swiped up his abandoned sword.

"Tybalt! Cousin!"

Tybalt would recognize that voice anywhere. Juliet. His most beloved cousin, he would not have her exposed to such violence.

The capulet lowered his blade and turned his head ever so slightly towards Juliet, careful to keep Mercutio in his line of sight; lest the man try and take him unawares.

"Juliet, what are you doing outside the manor?" Tybalt questioned as she slipped between Gregory and Sampson, the two barely parting enough to let her enter the circle that had been formed.

"Paris is there," She explained with a frown, before she noticed Mercutio, and the drawn swords. "What is going on?"

"Tybalt has done Benvolio a great wrong." Mercutio snarled, not even turning to look at Juliet.

"What is this horrid deed my cousin has committed now?" Juliet asked, glancing between the two as she stepped up to stand beside Tybalt.

"Benvolio lay near death within his chambers, and the only word he has uttered is Tybalt, Tybalt, Tybalt." Mercutio hissed out between clenched teeth, each repetition of Tybalt's name punctuated by an aggressive step forward.

"A mistake has been made, Tybalt would not try to kill Benvolio." Juliet said confidently.

Tybalt frowned slightly in consideration of her words but said nothing to contradict her. After all it had been nearly a fortnight since he'd last seen Benvolio. Even then that meeting had been civil, as much as it could be.

"Let me pass." A voice ordered from outside the circle of Capulets.

Tybalt waved a permissive hand and Peter stepped aside, revealing Romeo Montague standing defiantly before them.

"Who is that?" Juliet whispered at Tybalt's side, her breathless anticipation telling him far more than she probably intended.

"Romeo Montague." Tybalt growled lowly, hatred chasing any rational thought from his head.

"Have you any news?" Mercutio demanded urgently, finally taking his eyes off Tybalt.

Seeing his chance Tybalt sprung forward and easily knocked Mercutio's sword from his hand, hearing it clatter to the cobblestone with a satisfying crash.

Mercutio shouted in wordless alarm and sprung backwards, barely avoiding Tybalt's next attack as he fumbled for a dagger.

"Stop this!" Romeo cried angrily as he drew his own sword and rushed forward.

Tybalt parried Romeo's attack, and then easily dodged Mercutio's swipe at his middle. The Capulet brought in his own sword for feint at Romeo's left leg, only to abruptly change direction and score a hit on his unprotected right side.

Romeo grunted in pain and moved to Tybalt's right while Mercutio moved left. Tybalt growled lowly in frustration as they flanked him.  
Romeo came in with a flurry of high blows, it was child's play to fend them off, but Tybalt realized his mistake too late when a sudden pain in his sword arm reminded him of Mercutio's presence behind him.

Tybalt quickly corrected his position, retreating several steps to put them both back in his line of sight. His blind rage had cost him however, Mercutio had his sword once more and the two were carefully advancing.

"Tybalt!" Juliet cried out in fearful protest from behind him.

Without thought Tybalt turned towards her, her fear enough to pierce through the fog of rage. His momentary distraction was opportunity enough, Romeo managed to get in several strikes on his middle, while Mercutio made an attempt at disarming him.

Tybalt managed to hold onto his blade but he would have several new scars by the end of this.

"No more!" Juliet snapped and shoved forward, firmly putting herself between the combatants.

Tybalt hissed out a breath of surprise and fear at her reckless action and immediately lowered his sword.

"Juliet. Stand aside." Tybalt forced out between deep breaths as he tried to calm himself.

"I will not. Not while you're all being foolish. Besides two against one is hardly fair." Juliet stated with a glare at them all.

"I hardly think The Prince needs any help when it comes to swordplay." Mercutio mocked and Tybalt growled lowly at him.

Juliet blushed slightly and glanced over at Tybalt, whatever she saw on his face must have been less than comforting because she seemed suddenly aware of the fact that she was standing between three armed rivals.

"I'm quite sure the rest of you have duties you should be attending." Juliet said pointedly as she glared around at the Capulet servants forming the circle entrapping the combatants.

Tybalt was slightly impressed with how quickly they were left alone, Juliet was still so young, once she came into her own she would be a force to be reckoned with. He pitied any man who tried to control her.

"Now, Romeo, you came for a reason?" Juliet asked, turning her attention to the Montague heir.

"Yes, Benvolio is awake, and he is asking for you." Romeo answered, as he glared suspiciously at Tybalt.

"How is he? Let us go at once. This is not finished Tybalt." Mercutio growled and turned to leave, trusting Tybalt would not attack him again, not with Juliet in the way.

"He is still in pain, but he is asking for Tybalt." Romeo clarified.

Tybalt raised an eyebrow at that and a disbelieving laugh escaped him.

"You accuse me of injuring your Benvolio and now you tell me I must rush to his sickbed?" Tybalt demanded harshly.

"Tybalt!" Juliet protested angrily as she turned to glare up at him. "If he is as injured as they say you must go to him."

He considered for a moment turning and walking away. Yet he knew Juliet would never let it go, even if nothing happened to Benvolio she would hold it over his head for the rest of their lives.

"He is a Montague." Tybalt reminded her, knowing it was pointless even as he said the words.

"He is a person." Juliet countered fiercely.

"The Montague's are a blight upon the streets of Verona." Tybalt insisted, wishing she would understand, just this once.

"Do you truly think that cousin, or is that mine uncles voice I hear?" Juliet asked pointedly and Tybalt tightened his grip on his sword furiously.

Tybalt angrily turned away from her as he struggled to control himself. She was right, of course, Juliet was always right. Still that didn't make his father's voice ring any less loudly in his head.

"Tybalt?" Juliet murmured, concern clear in her voice as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Tybalt reflexively flinched from her touch and tried to ignore the curious sound Mercutio or Romeo made. He managed to wrestle himself under enough control to sheathe his blade and turn back to the Montague heir.

"Very well, we will come with you, if this is a trap Montague ..." Tybalt let his threat trail off, but he needn't have continued anyway, all of Verona was well aware of Tybalt's temper.

"We?" Juliet asked eagerly as she tugged at Tybalt's sleeve like the child she truly was.

He glanced down and smiled fondly at his cousin as she grinned excitedly up at him.

"We," he agreed. "I trust Paris less than I trust all of the Montague's." Tybalt admitted with a slight shrug.

Juliet's laughter rang out in the courtyard, sharp and pure, unburdened by misery in a way Tybalt had never known.  
His Juliet, his baby cousin, he would do everything he could to protect her happiness for as long as he lived. Even if that meant walking into the pit of vipers that was the house of Montague.


End file.
